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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25663063">Catching Bugs, Catching Hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quirmzi/pseuds/Quirmzi'>Quirmzi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Growing Up with You [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aobajousai, Best Friends, Best Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, Volleyball, iwaizumi's parents are rich but work all day and leave him alone, mostly set in middle school</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:27:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25663063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quirmzi/pseuds/Quirmzi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tooru was 5 when he met Hajime for the first time.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Tooru asked. His mom told him to make new friends, and Iawizumi looked the most appealing compared to the other kids who were shrieking their lungs out while going down the slide.</p><p>Iwaizumi, ever the brute even in his youth, replied with, “What does it look like I’m doing?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Growing Up with You [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Catching Bugs, Catching Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This isn't one of my favorites, but please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tooru was 5 when he met Hajime for the first time.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Tooru asked. His mom told him to make new friends, and Iawizumi looked the most appealing compared to the other kids who were shrieking their lungs out while going down the slide.</p><p>Iwaizumi, ever the brute even in his youth, replied with, “What does it look like I’m doing?”</p><p>“Mean! Then I guess you don’t want this bug I found.”</p><p>“Bug?”</p><p>Tooru shyly showed him the beetle he had found before approaching him. Iwaizumi scooped it out of his hands, to which Tooru was only too grateful for; the feeling of the creature crawling along his hand freaked him out.</p><p>“Can we play together?”</p><p>Iwaizumi eyed him for a moment before turning his head in the other direction. “Fine. What do you want to do?”</p><p>“Aliens!”</p><p>“You’re an alien.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>They chased each other around till the sun was about to set, weaving through the playground's surprisingly intricate structure. Tooru waved goodbye before running back to his mom, who was waiting for him at the edge of the playground. Iwaizumi stayed where he was, standing in the mud. Tooru briefly wondered if he lived there.</p><p>That was proven incorrect when Tooru knocked on the door next to his and lo and behold, there appeared his nameless friend.</p><p>“Hello! My family just moved into the house next door. Where’s your mom?” Tooru’s mom, ever the social butterfly, kneeled down to face Iwaizumi.</p><p>“Hello. She’s out right now, but my dad’s home.” From inside the house, Tooru could hear a voice calling out for Iwaizumi.</p><p>“Hajime, who is it?”</p><p>“Neighbors.”</p><p>A middle-aged man appeared in the doorway. He was slim and pale, but his spiky hair looked exactly like his son’s. He welcomed them, and as Tooru stepped in, he couldn’t help but admire their interior. Lavishly decorated, there were oil paintings hung up on the wall and expensive looking vases sat on top of silk tablecloths. It practically screamed money.</p><p>“Tooru, why don’t you and Hajime go play upstairs?” his mother suggested. Tooru was about to protest, wanting to stay with his mom, but then Iwaizumi grabbed his hand and all but dragged him upstairs.</p><p>“Iwa-chan! That’s mean!” Tooru whined, pouting as Iwaizumi led him to his room. </p><p>“What did you just call me?”</p><p>“Iwa-chan, where’s your mommy?” Call him nosy, but Tooru was curious and not born with a brain to mouth filter.</p><p>Iwaizumi scowled, as much as a 5-year-old can scowl. In the future, that same scowl would both intimidate and attract many, but Tooru’s always just found it kind of cute.</p><p>“My parents are always at work. Today was the only day they were free, and then Mom got called back in.”</p><p>Even as a child, Tooru knew that that wasn’t normal. “Then, I’ll be your mom!”</p><p>“Ew, I don’t want you. You’re too stupid.”</p><p>“You can’t talk to me like that, Iwa-chan! Respect your elders.”</p><p>“Whatever, Stupidkawa. And I’m older than you.”</p><p>Tooru jumped him, and as he was wrestling with Iwaizumi, something fell out of his pocket.</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“My milk bread!”</p><p>“Your what?”</p><p>Yesterday, Tooru and his mother went around town on a mission; to find the bakery. His mother wanted to buy some pastries and Tooru tagged along to try and convince her to buy him a treat. He had brought some of his favorite food over to eat while waiting for his mom to finish chatting with their neighbors, but then Iwaizumi appeared and threw him for a loop.</p><p>“Want some? You can a little bit, but only because we’re best friends.” Tooru declared, tearing a piece from the corner and handing it to a confused Hajime.</p><p>“We are?” Wow, he asked a lot of questions, didn’t he? Tooru supposed it was alright. Since they were now bound together for life through the power of friendship, he could just answer all of Hajime’s questions.</p><p>“Of course we’re best friends. You play aliens with me! No one else would at my old school.”</p><p>“We can play again.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“But only if I get to be Godzilla.”</p><p>“Godzilla isn’t an alien!”</p><p>“You’re an alien!”</p><p>“Mean, Iwa-chan!”</p><p>Hajime was also the one to introduce him to volleyball. His cousins had gifted him a volleyball, but he didn’t know how to play, so he and Tooru learned together. </p><p>That summer, Tooru fell in love for the first time. The feeling of the ball beneath his fingertips as he sent it soaring through the air gave him a sense of giddiness and pride that he hadn’t felt from anything else. He threw himself into volleyball, taking Hajime along with him. Together, they would become the best volleyball partners to ever grace the court.</p><p>They went to the same middle school and did everything together; classes, lunch, volleyball, everything was in sync with the other. So imagine his annoyance when some girl shows up with a pink envelope to give to Hajime. And then another. And then more of them to the point that it was disturbing practice.</p><p>So Tooru did what any reasonable middle schooler with jealousy issues would do; the day that Hajime was getting confessed to by a particularly chatty girl, he marched straight up to them and grabbed Hajime’s hand, planting a kiss smack on his cheek.</p><p>“Sorry, but Iwa-chan and I are going out.”</p><p>The girl let out an embarrassed squeak and ran off, leaving the two boys alone. Hajime turned to face him and promptly smacked him on the head.</p><p>“Since when were we dating?”</p><p>“Since now!”</p><p>“And what if I don’t want to date you?</p><p>A seed of doubt was planted into his lungs. Was he about to get pushed off, left behind for some girl who would end up taking up too much of Hajime’s time?</p><p>“C’mon Hajime! Who wouldn’t want to date me?”</p><p>Hajime sighed, rubbing his temples with his free hand; Tooru was still clutching onto the other one. “I better not see you flirting with anyone anymore.”</p><p>And just as quickly as it arose, that seed of doubt was stomped out.</p><p>Tooru squeezed his hand, and Hajime returned the favor. They walked home like that, continuously bickering the entire way.</p><p>(and if someone saw them holding hands in class, well, nothing was said)</p><p>- - - -</p><p>Tooru hated Kageyama Tobio.</p><p>He showed up in Tooru’s third year and completely floored the other setters with his talent. Tooru would never admit it, but he was only slightly better than this overgrown, milk-obsessed first-year, even with more years of practicing.</p><p>He hated him; hated what he stood for. Kageyama was a walking reminder of all his flaws and insecurities.</p><p>(because hard work may beat talent, but it’ll never beat talent that works, no matter how hard it tries)</p><p>Then this brat has the nerve to ask to learn his serve, as if it wasn’t enough that he could get benched after three years of hard work because of some genius freak. How dare he even step foot onto his court—</p><p>“Calm down!”</p><p>Tooru snaps out of his thoughts, looking up to see that he had his hand outstretched to Kageyama, with Hajime blocking him. Was he about to slap the setter? Good. Let him get hurt.</p><p>“Sorry…” Tooru mumbles, clenching and relaxing his fist. He was about to do it. He was this close to doing it. </p><p>“Sorry Kageyama, but I think we’re done for today. Oikawa needs a break.”</p><p>Tooru barely registers Kageyama leaving, only that Hajime now has a hand on his shoulder. It’s a solid presence, and he seeks comfort from it, leaning onto his best friend.</p><p>“C’mon Shittykawa, let’s get changed.”</p><p>“W-what? No, I still need to practice. I need to get better.”</p><p>“Too bad. We’re going on a date.”</p><p>Tooru chokes, looking at Hajime, who has a completely serious expression on his face, excluding his faintly pink cheeks. “Did you just say a date? Why?”</p><p>“What do you mean why? Who was the one who said we were dating in the first place? Unlike you, I’m not a terrible boyfriend.”</p><p>Hajime starts walking away while Tooru was still frozen in place, trying to process what he just heard. Something settles in his chest, and he feels his heart start to race and a warm feeling rush through him.</p><p>“Hajime, wait! No stop, <i>I can see you speeding up!<i>”</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The warm feeling doesn’t go away, and it makes him forget all about Kageyama and his lack of talent; for a moment, there is nothing that can stop him. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>- - - -</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Turns out their date was going to see a new alien movie that came out and having dinner afterward, which was something they already did regularly.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>When he told Hajime this, the spiker simply asked, “Then what happens on a date?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tooru thinks back to the American romcoms he watched under the covers, holding onto his stuffed plush.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“They...they go to the movies?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Is that not what we’re doing right now?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“But they watch romantic things! Like that one about the earring girl and the model with the umbrella!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Hajime continues to stare at him, unimpressed. “You would complain about their relationship and I would fall asleep halfway through.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tooru pouts because while he wasn’t wrong (Hajime often wasn’t when it came to Tooru’s tastes), he wasn't just going to just admit that. “Not true!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Whatever you say. C’mon, it’s about to start.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The movie was extremely entertaining, and as he saw some of his classmates walking out of the showing of the romance movie he wanted to watch looking completely confused and rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, he can’t help but silently thank the spiker for not dragging him there.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>On their way to dinner, they passed by a bakery, and Hajime cut in before Tooru could even open his mouth.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I said dinner, not dessert.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Iwa-chan!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Tooru.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>They head to a noodle stall and are seated in a quiet corner, away from the busy bustle of the street. They eat their food in silence, or at least they do for the first five minutes. Once Hajime was satisfied that Tooru wasn’t going to run off to practice volleyball or murder Kageyama, he started talking.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“So, want to explain that scene back there?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tooru looks up from his bowl, feeling nervous. “What do you mean?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Please,” Hajime scoffs. “If I didn’t stop you, you would’ve hit Kageyama. What’s wrong?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tooru so desperately wants to deflect, to laugh it off as a little joke, as he did for most people. But Hajime had stuck around too long to not notice when he was trying to play something off. Plus, it’s not like Tooru enjoys lying to him, so he gives in and tells Hajime what’s been going on.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Throughout his rant, Hajime listens attentively, not saying a single word. Tooru’s grateful; he’s tried telling his family about his problems before and they always interrupt with, “He’s just a kid Tooru, cut him some slack!”. Maybe it’s because Hajime has actually played with Kageyama before, but he lets Tooru ramble and go off on tangents, only steering him back on track when he’s gotten really deep, like, is the moon made of cheese that’s falling into the earth and feeding our cows deep.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>When Tooru finishes, he’s emotionally exhausted, having blurted out all his feelings that he’s kept pent up for the last few months. He reaches out to Hajime for support, and he delivers, linking their hands together and placing it on his lap.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“So? What did you think of my sob story?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Hajime runs his thumb over Tooru’s knuckles. The pad of his finger is rough from so many years of playing volleyball and climbing trees. “You’re an idiot.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Well, that was certainly unexpected. “Mean, Iwa-chan! I poured my heart and soul out for you!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Shut up. I’m only going to say this once, so you’d better pay attention. Just because everyone thinks that Kageyama is going to be a better setter than you doesn’t mean…”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>At this, Hajime trails off, avoiding Tooru’s eyes. “...this is so cheesy, you’re still my setter, okay?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I am?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Of course. I trust you more than anyone else and— are you crying?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tooru couldn’t contain his tears. Who knew such a brute could be so touching? He pounces onto Hajime, wrapping his arms around his neck.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Hajime, I love you!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“What the hell? Get off of me, Shittykawa!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“You love me, don’t you! Tell me you love me!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>In the end, Hajime reluctantly mummers it out, which causes Tooru to cling to him even tighter. They stay like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms in the quiet corner of the emptying noodle stall. Tooru feels giddy, reminiscent of the first time he tried volleyball. It’s reassuring, a feeling that says, “I’ll be with you for the rest of time and beyond”. It makes him so, so happy.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>That doesn’t mean that everything wrong in the world rights itself. He still dislikes Kageyama with a passion, and they lose to Shiratorizawa’s junior high team, but he and Hajime will be attending Aoba Johsai together, and nothing’s stopping them from reaching the top there.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>(of course, there would come a murder of crows with an all too familiar setter, but that’s another story for another time)</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Kuroo and Kenma are next on my list, but I have something planned before that.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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